General

White-eared Hummingbird: Medium-sized hummingbird with iridescent green upperparts and throat, metallic violet head, black mask, white stripe with lower black border behind eye, and white belly. Bill is red with black tip. Female is duller with spotted throat and breast.

Range and Habitat

White-eared Hummingbird: Irregular summer visitor to extreme southeastern Arizona; rare in New Mexico and Texas. Frequents scrub habitat in oak and pine forests.

Breeding and Nesting

White-eared Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a nest made of plants, moss, pine needles, and spider webs, lined with fine plant down, covered in lichens and moss, and built from 5 to 20 feet above the ground in a shrub or tree. Incubation ranges from 14 to 16 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

White-eared Hummingbird: Feeds on nectar, small winged insects, and spiders; forages low to mid-level.

Vocalization

White-eared Hummingbird: Song is a series of bell-like "tink-tink-tink" notes.

Similar Species

White-eared Hummingbird: Broad-billed Hummingbird Male has forked blue-black tail, blue gorget, and green crown; female has grayer underparts and no streaks on chin or throat.